Creating and Sharing Video To Market Your Event

Content is king, but not all content is created equal. There isn’t a set hierarchy that fits for every situation but for the majority of event marketing, video is at the top and continuing to trend up. But you can just shoot a bunch of video footage and hope you figure out what to do with it. Like most aspects of event planning, it’s all about the planning.

#EventProfs should have clear objectives going into the event. If you want to make a recap video following your event you should know the theme and feel, the approximate length, and the target audience before the event takes place. Who is your video made for? Are you creating a hype video that will make your event look even bigger and better so you can sell more tickets the next time around? Maybe you promised your event sponsors a video showcasing their brands and the roles they played. Think about it. Below you’ll find a sample sponsor recap video from #FlyFigawi that showcases both the event and the brands’ involvement. For #FlyFigawi, we charted a 737 from New York to Nantucket on Memorial Day Weekend. Guests attended a variety of SquadUP events on the island and took advantage of sponsor discounts at local shops.

If you host enough events, we recommend having a go-to camera crew that understand your goals and can capture as much quality content as possible surrounding your event. Of course they can shoot the event itself, but they should also be interviewing key players, getting footage of the setup process, and whatever else you may need. The right camera crew can make all the difference, so choose wisely. You never know when something unexpectedly amazing may take place. If you didn’t capture that moment then it may as well not have even happened.

Event planning news giant, BizBash, spent some time thinking of the best ways to make the most of video before, during, and after your event. Shout out to Mitra Sorrells for putting this awesome list together.

Before
1. As part of your contract with speakers, ask them to create a video promoting their presentations.
2. Preview key topics that will be covered so attendees can start to prepare and develop questions.
3. Interview the event host about what’s new and interesting about this year’s event.
4. Ask your venue if it has a video you can use to familiarize attendees with the facility.
5. Ask the convention and visitors bureau if there is a video about the city, local attractions, and other important information.
6. Create a video showing a preview of the entertainment.
7. Provide informational videos on how to register, how to use the transportation system, and other topics that are helpful, particularly for first-time attendees.

During
8. Share highlights of educational sessions. Try to shoot, edit and post as close to real time as possible.
9. Interview attendees on what they are enjoying and learning at the event.
10. If you have a trade show, create videos showing interesting exhibits and products.
11. Create videos at the networking and social events.
12. Produce a highlight video of the entire event that can be shown at the closing session.
13. Encourage attendees to create videos that show how they are experiencing the event and to share them on social networks with the event hashtag.
14. Consider capturing longer-form content such as entire educational sessions and in-depth interviews that can be used in various ways after the event ends.

After
15. Review survey results to determine if attendees had questions that can be answered or requests for additional information that could be shared with a video.
16. Develop a plan to share videos from the event—highlights of educational sessions and social events or interviews with presenters and attendees—periodically throughout the year to keep people engaged.
17. As you develop plans for the next event, share previews in videos.

What are some other ways to create and share video content? Tweet some ideas @squadup. If you can secure a drone with video capabilities, the possibilities are endless…